'Calls for public investigation'

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What KCOM say

A spokesman for KCOM said: “We’re sorry to hear that Mr Batty is unhappy with his KCOM service. The main factor affecting the download and upload speed of the standard copper broadband service he is using is the distance from his house to the nearest telephone exchange, and we can confirm he is receiving upload and download speeds within the estimated range for his postcode area.

"We’re unable to offer upload speeds of greater than 1Mbps on our copper service so Mr Batty is mistaken in believing he should be receiving upload speeds of 3-4Mbps.

“Our records show that Mr Batty is in fact using a large proportion of his data allowance every month, but he is very welcome to get in touch so that we can discuss whether his needs would be better met by a different package. Alternatively, while we would be sorry to lose him as a customer, he does not have a contract with us and is free to cancel his service at any time without penalty.

“Our Lightstream broadband service, which is 35 times faster than Mr Batty’s current service, will be available in Heron Street by October.”

"At last some form of public investigation into the KCOM cable internet monopoly," he wrote.

"For years KCOM has prevented people in the Hull area from being able to access the very competitive cable internet, phone, mobile phone and TV bundles being offered too much of the UK at dramatically lower prices than KCOM.

Kevin Batty is frustrated over the speed of his KCOM broadband (Image: Rich Addison)

"They may bleat on about how their service is one of the best in the world, but I live less then a mile from their main city centre offices and can’t yet get wired internet, so how is that the best service in the world?

Sean Royce, executive vice president at KCOM, responded to the letter, stating that it does not have a monopoly over Hull and that residents are able to go with other providers.

He said: "Mr McConaghy suggests we have made it unviable for other providers to use our network to offer services.

"As in the rest of the UK, the communications market in Hull and East Yorkshire is open to any provider who wishes to provide services here.

"While we own the fixed line network in Hull, in the same way that BT owns its fixed line network in the rest of the UK, we are required by Ofcom to provide a range of wholesale services and to have a process in place for other communications providers to request access to our network to serve their own customers.

Batty-KCOM4.jpg (Image: Rich Addison)

"We have already introduced fibre access services for wholesale customers and continue to work with them to develop more services that will be launched shortly.

“We will continue to work with Ofcom to make sure we offer our customers the best possible services to meet their needs.

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"To date, Ofcom’s market review has not suggested that KCOM is failing to offer competitive rates to other providers for our existing fibre access services.”

Mr Royce says the likes of Mr McConaghy and Mr Batty will experience a much faster service soon.

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He said: “While we are still in the final stages of our fibre roll out, the great majority of our customers already have access to the fastest broadband speeds in the UK thanks to our £85m investment in rolling out full fibre broadband – the gold standard in speed and reliability – across our network.

"Our Lightstream rollout is scheduled to reach Mr McConaghy's area in July and by March 2019 there will be access to full fibre broadband right across the region.

"In contrast, it will be many years before this ultrafast access is available to most UK residents."